Antony and Cleopatra

Original Text

Modern Text

Flourish. Enter POMPEY and
MENAS at one door, with drum and trumpet; at another
CAESAR, LEPIDUS,
ANTONY, ENOBARBUS,
MAECENAS, and AGRIPPA, with
soldiers marching

A trumpet fanfare sounds. POMPEY and
MENAS enter through one stage door to the music of a
drum and a trumpet. CAESAR, LEPIDUS,
ANTONY, ENOBARBUS,
MAECENAS, and AGRIPPA enter
through another door, followed by soldiers.

It’s proper that we speak first, which is why we sent our
proposals ahead of us for your consideration. If you’ve had time to
think over these points, let us know whether they will relieve your
frustration. If yes, then a lot of brave young men can return to
Sicily who would otherwise die here.

10

15

20

POMPEY

To you all
three,

The senators alone of this great world,

Chief factors for the gods: I do not know

Wherefore my father should revengers want,

Having a son and friends, since Julius Caesar,

Who at Philippi the good Brutus ghosted,

There saw you laboring for him. What was ’t

That moved pale Cassius to conspire? And what

Made the all-honored, honest Roman Brutus,

With the armed rest, courtiers of beauteous freedom,

To drench the Capitol, but that they would

Have one man but a man? And that is it

Hath made me rig my navy, at whose burden

The angered ocean foams, with which I meant

To scourge th’ ingratitude that despiteful Rome

Cast on my noble father.

POMPEY

I address the three of you, the sole rulers of this world and the
main arbiters of the gods’ will. I don’t know why my father’s death
shouldn’t be avenged, since he has a son and friends to do it. You
avenged Julius Caesar’s death at Philippi, where his ghost haunted
his killer, Brutus. Why did Cassius conspire against Caesar? And why
did the honorable, well-intentioned Brutus and the others, men
devoted to the ideal of freedom, assassinate Caesar? They didn’t
want one man to be king in Rome.

And that’s why I’ve built my navy, which is so huge that the
weight of the ships makes the sea foam with anger. I will punish
Rome for her ingratitude toward my noble father.